The Promise
by frostbitten-pooka-roo
Summary: Oneshot about the captain of the gaurd keeping his promise to the princess.  He promised her that he would bring Eugene back from war, alive.  Thats a hard promise to keep when...   please read and review! thx


The Promise:

He had made a promise, a promise that would not fall apart easily. thepromise was made in secret and only he and she knew about it. And he would always obey his the princess, for it was his duty as captain of the guard. He had promised her that he would keep her love safe, to bring him home from war alive by her request. But in only a few seconds he felt as if that promise had turned into an impossible dream.

the dynamite had been hidden cleverly by the enemy and they had walked right into a trap. Eugene could see that there was a pattern to it, the order of the explosions. They were lined up and blew up in order. Before he could even think about his own safety, he leaped for the captain, shoving him out of harm's way just as the last explosion blasted.

The captain rose up from the ground, the Coronian soldiers around hm ordering to fall back, to get out. But the captain wasnt about to break a royal promise. He staggered to his feet and looked through the smoke for the Prince Consort who had just saved him. He eventually spotted him, staggering up from the ground in an attempt to escape from the approching enemy. But in just two steps, he collapsed down onto the dusty dirt, groaning in pain and clutching his bloody side.

The captain hurried over to him, rolling him onto his back and brushed away his hands to inspect his oozing wound.

"Shit." the captain muttered as Eugene took in sharp gasps of air, his eyes wide in sudden shock and pain. Eugene's right side seemed to have split open, blood pooling rapidly below him and onto the ground. The captain quickly untied the sash around his waist and hastily wrapped it around Eugene's torso, the crimson blood quickly seeping through the gold cloth.

"Hang on, Rider." He said, knowing that the wound was serious, and could be fatal if Eugene didnt get medical attention soon. The captain had been taught to never leave a wounded soldier behind, especially when it was the Prince Consort. And to never break a promise, a rule settled by the princess.

He quickly but carefully pulled Eugene up and over his shoulder, and started in the direction of the camp as fast as possible.

After an agonizly long walk, The captain finally reached the camp, exhausted from carrying the wounded young man. But not so tired that he would ignore his place as captain and the promise he had made. As the other soldiers quickly made room for the captain as he walked through the crowds and the tents and finally reached the medical bay. He laid Eugene down gently on one of the cleaner cots.

"Conli!" he barked, quickly replacing the blood soaked sash with a clean rag, "Get me clean, hot water, some needle and thread, and a lot more rags! Now!"

with that, Conli and a few other soldiers were off, quickly retreving the items the captain had asked for.

The captain didnt like how shallow Eugene's breathing was as he remained unconscience, he needed to get him to breathe, to take in air. He needed Eugene to cough, that should work.

He looked around and saw a small flask of wisky and quickly snatched it up and supported Eugene's head with one hand while his other hand brought the flask up to his slightly parted lips.

Eugene grimaced weakly and coughed, softly at first and then his quickly coughs grew into violent fits.

"Stay awake kid. Gotta stay awake." The captain told him. He knew Eugene had lost a lot of blood and that he was exhausted but he just had to stay awake, at least while he stitched him up.

"But...Im so...tired." Eugene said weakly, barely above a whisper.

"I know, I know kid, just keep talking to me." He said and wiped down Eugene's rising fever with a damp cloth.

"What's your wife's name?" The captain asked, trying to have Eugene think on something else other than the pain.

"R-Rapunzel."

"Yeah, and whats special about her right now?"

"I dont know-"

"Yes you do, think!"

"She...she's pregnant."

"Right. What does pregnant mean?"

Eugene knew the captain was just trying to keep him alive, but it was working so he obeyed and answered every question as best as he could.

"A baby...she's gonna have a baby."

"Who's baby?"

"M-mine."

"Right, thats why you _must_ stay awake. You must be there when that baby comes."

When Conli finally arrived back with the supplise, the captain set to work emedietly, first cleaning the blood away and then stitching the wound up. Eugene wasnt too fond of the stitching, the captain could tell by his tired screams of protest. When he finally finished sewing up Eugene's side, he wrapped it tightly in cloth and finally let the young Prince Consort fall into an exhausted, troubled sleep.

The captain of the gaurd was going to keep that promise to Rapunzel if he had to go to hell and drag Eugene out of it. But thankfully he didnt have to do that, because with plenty of rest, and medical attention, Eugene survived his horrible injury and the captain got to watch him and Rapunzel race into each other's arms the day they came home from war. He got to see the joy in the princess's face when she saw her beloved husband, the way she smiled for him and only him.

The captain would do anything to keep that smile on her face.


End file.
